Planning to get HT this Novemeber (too soon?)

[TonyStark]

Hi Folks, 

I have a few questions and looking forward to your guidance. Want to share a little background before I ask my questions.
I have been having hair loss since more than 7 years and I have recently decided to get a HT. I have been applying minoxydil on and off since past few months and so haven't seen any realistic progress and also been applying an hair oil https://avimeeherbal.us/pages/testimonial (got lot of attention since Shark Tank epi) since past 4 months twice every week.
I came across this excellent platform only a couple months ago and have been following experiences shared by many of you. I have decided to get HT done by Eugenix - Mumbai as I am planning to visit my family there next month. I live in US and generally visit India every year and I am planning to stay there for more than a month post my HT. I have only reached out to the clinic via whatsapp and haven't had an online appointment yet. I have posted my current hair condition for some context. My questions are - 

• Is there a minimum time period required or any prerequisite(like pills etc)  before getting a HT? I will land in Mumbai on 13th and want to get HT done on 23/24th
• Should I spend some more time applying minoxydil and taking finasteride religiously and see the difference before opting for HT?
• I have been using Hair fiber since past year and really love it as it provides somewhat natural look, would I still be able to use it during the 1 year growing phase post HT?
• What package should I opt for at Eugenix- Mumbai? Does it make a huge difference If I don't go with the highest package? Is it really worth it?

Thanks in adavnce for taking time to read and answer my questions 🙂

[Gatsby]

You need to stay on finsteride and minoxidil for a year to see the full benefits from these two medications. I wouldn't waste your time and money on that hair oil. Your crown could really benefit from medication and so reduce the amount of grafts you require. Honestly patience is everything with hair restoration. I wouldn't rush surgery just because you are visiting your family. You have however chosen and excellent clinic especially for High Norwood cases. Get in touch with Eugenix again and ask them as many questions as you can. All the best!

[Shadman]

48 minutes ago, TonyStark said:

Hi Folks, 

I have a few questions and looking forward to your guidance. Want to share a little background before I ask my questions.
I have been having hair loss since more than 7 years and I have recently decided to get a HT. I have been applying minoxydil on and off since past few months and so haven't seen any realistic progress and also been applying an hair oil https://avimeeherbal.us/pages/testimonial (got lot of attention since Shark Tank epi) since past 4 months twice every week.
I came across this excellent platform only a couple months ago and have been following experiences shared by many of you. I have decided to get HT done by Eugenix - Mumbai as I am planning to visit my family there next month. I live in US and generally visit India every year and I am planning to stay there for more than a month post my HT. I have only reached out to the clinic via whatsapp and haven't had an online appointment yet. I have posted my current hair condition for some context. My questions are - 

• Is there a minimum time period required or any prerequisite(like pills etc)  before getting a HT? I will land in Mumbai on 13th and want to get HT done on 23/24th
• Should I spend some more time applying minoxydil and taking finasteride religiously and see the difference before opting for HT?
• I have been using Hair fiber since past year and really love it as it provides somewhat natural look, would I still be able to use it during the 1 year growing phase post HT?
• What package should I opt for at Eugenix- Mumbai? Does it make a huge difference If I don't go with the highest package? Is it really worth it?

Thanks in adavnce for taking time to read and answer my questions 🙂

First of all, if you were staying on the medications there might've been some improvements in your crown and donor area. I don't think those hair serums can actually benefit. Regarding the highest tire of the package, I would say that if you can afford then definitely go for that. And finally, I understand why you're rushing for this procedure, because you'll be in India for a month. So, it would be better for you to consult directly with the clinic. If they agree to proceed, follow their guidelines. As you've already finalized the clinic. 

Edited October 12, 2023 by Shadman

[Berba11]

You need a careful plan of action.

Finasteride or some kind of medical intervention to protect against or slow further loss will be essential. That said, if you go ahead with surgery then personally I'd be asking for the most conservative approach to the hairline height possible and focusing on building the front half of the head (frontal third + some of the midscalp) first. Partly because you already have some crown intact, but also because having a thinned out crown with a decent frontal third will look natural as this is a fairly common baldness pattern.

Bear in mind you look to have significant thinning on the lateral humps. Finasteride will help to keep them intact (hopefully), and a conservative hairline will keep grafts in the bank to address those areas later.

If they are willing to do a bigger session, I think if I were you I'd only want a conservative number of grafts around the edge of the crown to close it off a bit, and not go into the middle of the crown. You already use fibres quite happily so you can continue to use them post op on the weaker areas and let the HT do the heavy lifting in the frontal third.

That would roughly be my approach.

[TonyStark]

22 hours ago, Gatsby said:

You need to stay on finsteride and minoxidil for a year to see the full benefits from these two medications. I wouldn't waste your time and money on that hair oil. Your crown could really benefit from medication and so reduce the amount of grafts you require. Honestly patience is everything with hair restoration. I wouldn't rush surgery just because you are visiting your family. You have however chosen and excellent clinic especially for High Norwood cases. Get in touch with Eugenix again and ask them as many questions as you can. All the best!

So I have been visiting India every year since past 3 years and I always thought of getting a HT and also visited a couple of clinics, the last time I was there. But was always on the fence due to lack of good reviews and research. But after looking at several posts here, it kinda gave me some confidence to go for HT.

[TonyStark]

13 hours ago, Berba11 said:

You need a careful plan of action.

Finasteride or some kind of medical intervention to protect against or slow further loss will be essential. That said, if you go ahead with surgery then personally I'd be asking for the most conservative approach to the hairline height possible and focusing on building the front half of the head (frontal third + some of the midscalp) first. Partly because you already have some crown intact, but also because having a thinned out crown with a decent frontal third will look natural as this is a fairly common baldness pattern.

Bear in mind you look to have significant thinning on the lateral humps. Finasteride will help to keep them intact (hopefully), and a conservative hairline will keep grafts in the bank to address those areas later.

If they are willing to do a bigger session, I think if I were you I'd only want a conservative number of grafts around the edge of the crown to close it off a bit, and not go into the middle of the crown. You already use fibres quite happily so you can continue to use them post op on the weaker areas and let the HT do the heavy lifting in the frontal third.

That would roughly be my approach.

Excellent advice! Yes I thought of having multiple sessions too instead of 1 big session.
Also, do you think I should go for a conservative hairline because I don't have enough donor area or because medication might help and I might not need those extra grafts?
Finasteride is something I might have to take for the rest of my life right? I have never taken it before and I was wondering what if I am one of those unlucky persons to have significant side effects

[TonyStark]

22 hours ago, Shadman said:

First of all, if you were staying on the medications there might've been some improvements in your crown and donor area. I don't think those hair serums can actually benefit. Regarding the highest tire of the package, I would say that if you can afford then definitely go for that. And finally, I understand why you're rushing for this procedure, because you'll be in India for a month. So, it would be better for you to consult directly with the clinic. If they agree to proceed, follow their guidelines. As you've already finalized the clinic. 

So I have replied above of why I was planning to get HT done this time around but the conundrum is 'if i take medications for a year, can i get away with having to transplant significantly less grafts and hence saving my donor area'

[Shadman]

18 minutes ago, TonyStark said:

So I have replied above of why I was planning to get HT done this time around but the conundrum is 'if i take medications for a year, can i get away with having to transplant significantly less grafts and hence saving my donor area'

I understand why you were planning to get a HT this time. I think it would be better for you to contact Eugenix directly. By evaluating your condition, you and Eugenix can plan your procedure accordingly. 

[Rawkerboi]

2 hours ago, TonyStark said:

what if I am one of those unlucky persons to have significant side effects

This is one of the major reason why majority of men hesitate to try this drug Finasteride and loose their half battle against Male Pattern Baldness.

The side effects of Finasteride is blown out of proportion. Please do note that side effects are quite rare and it's easily reversible. In majority of men, it just works!!

Stop that snake oil and try Finasteride( FDA Approved)

Before jumping into Hair Transplants, it's always recommended to stay on Finasteride or Minoxidil for atleast a year or two. These drugs helps to slow down Hair loss.

My two cents, since you are visiting Mumbai - India, have an in person consultation with Eugenix (if possible get an appointment with Dr.Sethi) let them examine your scalp and clear your doubts.

Good Luck!

[Berba11]

4 hours ago, TonyStark said:

Also, do you think I should go for a conservative hairline because I don't have enough donor area or because medication might help and I might not need those extra grafts?

For both reasons (I don’tknow your donor capacity, but best to err on the side of caution) plus the fact that you’ll be old one day and an aggressive hairline might look a bit odd. 
 

As for finasteride… If you don’t take it, then you can expect with a high degree of likelihood that you’ll lose the hair you have. That’s not too much of a problem as long as you adopt a very conservative approach to your first HT so that you know you can address future loss with surgery. That said, it leaves little margin for error. What if the surgery isn’t successful?

So if would be a good idea to jump on finasteride right away and give it a couple of months. At least you’ll know how well you can tolerate it. Is it for life? Pretty much, yes!

This is why you need to know how much scalp & beard donor you have available, and how many grafts would be needed if you reached a full NW7 with lateral hump recession (usually a minimum of 7,000 grafts, and higher in most cases). If you know whether you can meet the needs of your hairloss through surgery even if you reach the highest NW level, then finasteride becomes more optional. No harm in trying it though. 

[TonyStark]

THANK YOU @Berba11 @Shadman @Rawkerboi
The recommendations/thoughts given by you guys is exactly what I was told during a brief call with a medical rep form Eugenix. I am planning to have a in person consultation with the doctor as well. But they evaluated my pictures I posted earlier and so far recommending this (of course this is just a rough estimate since I haven't met with the doctor yet)

 

 

The marked area could require: 3600

Proposed Harvest from Scalp: 2500

Proposed Harvest from Beard: 1100

The “miniaturized hair” might improve with the help of medications.

[TonyStark]

Also one more question - what about topical finasteride? They generally have 0 side effects. Is it not very popular because it is as effective as the oral one?

Edited October 14, 2023 by TonyStark

[Shadman]

58 minutes ago, TonyStark said:

THANK YOU @Berba11 @Shadman @Rawkerboi
The recommendations/thoughts given by you guys is exactly what I was told during a brief call with a medical rep form Eugenix. I am planning to have a in person consultation with the doctor as well. But they evaluated my pictures I posted earlier and so far recommending this (of course this is just a rough estimate since I haven't met with the doctor yet)

 

 

The marked area could require: 3600

Proposed Harvest from Scalp: 2500

Proposed Harvest from Beard: 1100

The “miniaturized hair” might improve with the help of medications.

Completely agree with the planning of Eugenix. Address this portion in your first surgery and later on address the remaining portion depending on the condition.

And I would suggest you give it a try. Start 1mg of finasteride twice or thrice in a week to see how it responds. If you face any issues switch into the topical one. Best part of oral finasteride is that when you stop it all the side effects usually go away. 

0.25% or 0.1% of Topical finasteride less likely to give any sides.  

[Al - Moderator]

Looking at your pictures I think you're on your way to NW 7. You have thinning sides and your crown seems like it dips pretty far down the back. If you are going to have a hair transplant then get a high hairline and don't try to go too dense. You also need to be using a lot of body hair. You are filling in between the blue area, but you are thinning far down the sides. You could eventually end up with an island of hair in the center and bald all around it.

 

[Al - Moderator]

Here's another view. If you fill in the blue area, what happens if you lose the area that's thinning. I'm not telling you what to do. I certainly understand wanting a hair transplant especially when it starts to get really bad. I'm just telling you to be careful and don't think you won't continue losing hair just because you got a hair transplant. 

EDIT: I'm saying this because it happened to me and now I'm using thousands of body grafts just to try to build up the sides while the previously transplanted top is thinning because the sides where that hair was taken is thinning. But I can't add much to the top because I have to use it on the sides. It's not a good situation to be in and I think you will be the same place.

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by BeHappy

[A_4_Archan]

@TonyStark

I'd like to explain how a surgery should be approached

 

—> As a first step, you should address the underlying cause of your hair loss...even if you undergo surgery, if your hair loss continues, then you will be in the same state again soon...surgery won't solve your hair loss problem.

It is therefore important to consult a good doctor who is more familiar with hair loss and begin medication. This can stabilize, slow down, or reverse your hair loss...this is the key to a successful outcome...to reap the benefits of medication, you need to take it religiously for the full 12 months and then reassess your situation and plan accordingly. Medication can also make your donor more healthy, so all of this will make you a better candidate for Hair transplant 

—>In addition to taking medication, you should also educate yourself. You can use this 12 month period to research more about hair transplant surgery, learn more about the whole process, and understand the nuances. Research good doctors around the world and shortlist around 4-5 doctors based on your findings, and then consult all of them to determine who best fits your needs and expectation

Taking all of the above things into account will pave the way for a successful surger

I hope this helps you ...best of luck

Edited October 15, 2023 by A_4_Archan

[TonyStark]

On 10/14/2023 at 6:57 AM, BeHappy said:

Here's another view. If you fill in the blue area, what happens if you lose the area that's thinning. I'm not telling you what to do. I certainly understand wanting a hair transplant especially when it starts to get really bad. I'm just telling you to be careful and don't think you won't continue losing hair just because you got a hair transplant. 

EDIT: I'm saying this because it happened to me and now I'm using thousands of body grafts just to try to build up the sides while the previously transplanted top is thinning because the sides where that hair was taken is thinning. But I can't add much to the top because I have to use it on the sides. It's not a good situation to be in and I think you will be the same place.

 

Yes I had similar questions too, I will ask them during the consultation. But the medical representative I spoke with assured that medication will definitely help with hair thinning and also curb hair loss. 

[TonyStark]

On 10/15/2023 at 3:32 PM, A_4_Archan said:

@TonyStark

I'd like to explain how a surgery should be approached

 

—> As a first step, you should address the underlying cause of your hair loss...even if you undergo surgery, if your hair loss continues, then you will be in the same state again soon...surgery won't solve your hair loss problem.

It is therefore important to consult a good doctor who is more familiar with hair loss and begin medication. This can stabilize, slow down, or reverse your hair loss...this is the key to a successful outcome...to reap the benefits of medication, you need to take it religiously for the full 12 months and then reassess your situation and plan accordingly. Medication can also make your donor more healthy, so all of this will make you a better candidate for Hair transplant 

—>In addition to taking medication, you should also educate yourself. You can use this 12 month period to research more about hair transplant surgery, learn more about the whole process, and understand the nuances. Research good doctors around the world and shortlist around 4-5 doctors based on your findings, and then consult all of them to determine who best fits your needs and expectation

Taking all of the above things into account will pave the way for a successful surger

I hope this helps you ...best of luck

Thanks for the insight, it is super helpful. The only reason why I was planning to have a 'conservative' HT done this time around is because I may not be able to leave US for next 3 years due to visa related issues and since HT is very expensive here, I won't be able to get HT done. So the idea was to get HT done on areas with no hair and use medication to help with less dense areas